Willie Nelson at his 4th July Picnic 1974 by Scott Newton

Willie Nelson at his 4th July Picnic 1974 by Scott Newton

Willie Nelson, taken at his 4th July Picnic in 1974 by photographer Scott Newton from our exclusive collection, The Scott Newton Archive.

Available as a signed, limited edition photographic print

Photographers notes: I'll never forget how, in broad daylight, I realized that Willie had grown and changed remarkably in the year I'd been photographing him. He just suddenly seemed so much more substantial. I wasn't the only one who saw it, either. He simply put on the public persona of Force of Nature and never put it away. I call this shot "The Prophet" because that's what I thought he looked like when I was shooting.